I’m sure most of you have experienced it. You’re halfway through an enjoyable run, or nearing the finish line of a race, or just a few minutes into your early morning run when it hits you–the awful side stitch. Pain that can range from a dull cramp to a sharp, stabbing, piercing sensation and on either side of the abdomen. And according to recent statistics, close to 70% of runners have experienced a side stitch within the past year. Thankfully, there are several strategies you can use to help ease cramps, as well as preventative measures to keep them from occurring in the first place.

What Causes Side Stitches?

Even though side stitches are extremely common, the cause isn’t quite fully understood. Although there are a number of different theories out there, some medical experts think that side stitches, also called exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), is possibly due to a lack of blood flow to your diaphragm. As you run, pressure increases on your abdominal muscles 2328527_origand you breathe rapidly, causing the lungs to expand. These two actions–a push up from your abdominals and a push down from your lungs–create a dual pressure. The result? Your diaphragm gets pinched in the middle, which can cut off blood flow and oxygen, thus causing the cramp. And it’s not just runners who report side stitches–swimmers, cyclists, and soccer players also report being plagued by the dreaded pain.

Can Side Stitches Be Prevented?

There may not be a foolproof method for avoiding side stitches altogether, but there is a bit of good news…side stitches generally go away the more you run. Now, elite athletes are not immune, but they certainly get them less often. So, you’re not an elite runner yet? Then following these strategies before a run can help prevent the onset:

1) Don’t skip your warm-up–While there is currently no known scientific evidence that shows that a proper warm-up prevents side stitches, getting your heart rate elevated before a run is always a good idea. Dynamic stretches , such as high knees, butt kicks, and walking lunges, should be your warm-up of choice.

2) Strengthen your core–A recent study found that strengthening your transverse abdominis muscles, located behind your “6-pack” (rectus abdominis), might reduce the incidence of side stitches. The muscles run horizontally around your body to help stabilize your lower spine. You can activate them by sucking your belly button toward your spine and strengthen them through a variety of ab exercises such as Kegel’s exercises.

Entire Blog https://www.wildermanphysicaltherapy.com/how-to-ease-painful-side-stitches-when-running/

Did you know at #WildermanPhysicalTherapy we are a single appointment practitioner with zero crowded waiting rooms? Our appointment model has you dealing directly with Dr. Dave only with dedicated care and attention. Ready to experience the difference in a safe, clean, and caring environment? Then contact us today so we can get you back to living faster!

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At this time of crisis, my top priority is the health and safety of my patients. I understand the challenges facing the healthcare system and I am working hard to support my patient needs in any way I can. Additionally, I am committed to the goal of reducing the spread of COVID-19 within the community. The clinic HAS REMAINED OPEN for essential patient visits with the proper precautions.


⚠️ A New Option! ⚠️
All new patients will be scheduled for a TeleHealth initial evaluation to determine the course of action.

🛑 Protect Yourself 🛑
I am closely monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as our national, state, and local health authorities and we will continue to reassess and make changes daily to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread while minimizing its impact on the care of my patients. The CDC has the most current information about the virus, including everything you need to know about how the virus spreads, how it is treated, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you are sick. Please visit the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/) for more information.

I am here to help you relieve your pain. Thank you for your continued trust and loyalty as we work together to fight this virus.

Sincerely,
Dr. David Wilderman

#TeleHealth

At some time or another, it happens to most of us–we get stressed at work! And stress in the workplace should not be taken lightly. It is estimated that at least one-third of American workers experience chronic workplace stress, according to the American Psychological Association. This has quite an impact as it is costing American businesses billions of dollars each year in medical bills and lost work hours. But there’s even far more greater consequences as all this stress at work can seriously impact our quality of life–not just at the office, but in all phases of our personal life as well. So what can we do to lessen our stress levels and take back our lives?

Think back to your teenage years–many of us thought we were invincible! We drove too fast or did stupid dares from our friends, not even considering the repercussions…and why should we? We were invincible (and besides…mortality was not in our vocabulary!) But sooner or later we grew up…some in our 20s, others in their 30s…and we realized “Hey–we’re not invincible.” We actually knew people our age who died. We started getting away from the blatantly obvious dumb stuff and started doing more of the adult stuff, such as working crazy long hours, lying awake at night worrying about presentations or upcoming deadlines, or even stressing over how great our yard looks.

Read Entire Blog ~ https://www.wildermanphysicaltherapy.com/how-to-deal-with-workplace-stress-part-1/

As women age gracefully, you are at a higher risk for developing many chronic diseases.  From diabetes to heart disease, your risk increases with every year that passes.  However, there are certain factors that you can change to improve your health risks.  Factors such as lack of exercise, poor diet, and inadequate sleep patterns are things that you can change, which certainly could improve your health as you get older.  However, there are certain health risks that, when not addressed early, could lead to chronic disease development or, in some cases, premature death.  Let me explain…

As you age, your body goes through many different changes.  Unlike men, women go through menopause, which is a sudden drop or loss of estrogen.  This could lead to obesity, heart disease, some cancers, and other risks.  However, there are some risk factors that you have complete control of, which could drastically improve your health–especially if you are over 40.  The fact remains–there are hundreds of ways to improve your health and overall risk factors for chronic diseases and premature death.  Here are the Top 5:

 
Top health risk #1:  Being overweight

By far and away the most important of all the health risks is your weight.  Being overweight carries with it many risks.  Excess weight could lead to an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.  However, more importantly, being overweight could lead to an increased risk for developing cancer–especially breast cancer.  It has been shown that your fat cells release insulin which, according to some research studies, has been correlated with an increase in cancer cell growth.

Advice:  A low carbohydrate or intermittent diet has been shown as an effective means at losing weight.  This could lower your risk for many diseases but, most notably, the development of cancer.

Read Entire Blog ~ https://www.wildermanphysicaltherapy.com/the-top-5-health-risks-for-women/

We can’t avoid it. At some time or another, most of us will experience pain of some sort that could potentially be debilitating. Some individuals tolerate pain much better than others. But why is this so? And where is the pain originating? Can it be that it is all in our head?

What is pain?
Pain is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage,” according to The International Association for the Study of Pain. So based on this definition, pain can arise from actual injury to a tissue (i.e., muscle, tendon, bone) or the potential for injury to a tissue. Regardless of whether the damage is actual or potential, one thing is certain–individuals will perceive pain as real!

How is pain understood?
Pain is one of the main symptoms causing an individual to seek medical help from a Physical Therapist or other health care professional.  But our understanding of what pain is, why it occurs, and where it originates has changed significantly over the past 8-10 years.  10-15 years ago it was thought that pain originated at the level of the tissues (e.g. if you hurt your elbow, pain signals originated at the level of the elbow).  It is now generally thought that pain is not perceived until the brain concludes there is a potential threat to those tissues.  In other words, if you injure your elbow then danger signals originate at the level of the elbow.  Those pain signals are then relayed to the brain, and the brain determines if it needs to respond by sending an output of pain.  And this response is extremely individual, meaning what causes one individual’s brain to respond may not cause another’s to do so.

As a result in this shift in pain perception, the approach to how Physical Therapists determine your care has changed as well.  While many health care fields focused on the treatment of individual tissues in the past, many Physical Therapists are starting to adopt a bio-psycho-social model of pain treatment.  This means that Physical Therapists will no longer focus solely on the tissues of the body (bio), but now also account for psychological and social factors that can be influencing the amount of pain you are experiencing.  This would include incorporating aspects of work or sport into your rehab program (assuming you injured yourself at work or participating in a physical activity), as well as discussing any fears you may have regarding movement, and helping to give you the confidence to once again move safely.

How is pain described?
We know that everyone perceives pain differently.  Even though Physical Therapists attempt to “quantify” the pain by having the individual assign a number to the intensity of pain one is experiencing (“rate your pain level on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being “no pain” and 10 being “emergency room, call 911” pain), pain is still subjective–what is labeled a “7/10” pain by one person might be labeled a “3/10” pain by somebody else.  We often hear people say “I have a high pain threshold,” but because pain is subjective, science has not developed accurate ways to measure pain tolerance.

Read the entire article ~ https://www.wildermanphysicaltherapy.com/is-pain-all-in-your-head/

"Remember, pain is a warning light, so don’t wait to get it checked out. Treat your body like a luxury car, because it is. No matter how amazing it is, you must take care of it preemptively and in a timely manner. Get it checked out regularly and stop listening to all the noise that just confuses you." ~ Dr. David Wilderman

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I get it–in today’s fast-paced world, everybody’s busy…work, family, exercise…How do we ever get it all done? Many times we think it means that something has to be sacrificed–and often that sacrifice turns out to be exercise. But what if we didn’t have to sacrifice anything? What if we really could fit it all into our daily routines?


We all know that the hardest part of doing anything is often just showing up. And yes, when it comes to exercise, it’s easy to think up dozens of excuses to put our workout time on the back burner. But a very simple way to stay committed and turn exercise into a no-brainer is to schedule it in! I read in a few research studies where it can take as little as 18 days to form a new habit (but on average, it means 66 days for most of us). So penciling in workout sessions ahead of time (as you would an important meeting or a friend’s birthday) is just one way to get yourself in gear for the long haul.

Here are my Top 7 Ways to create your action plan for creating and sticking to a successful workout routine (in no particular order of importance):

1. There’s a calendar app for that–Thank goodness for technology! Whether it’s creating a Google Calendar or setting a reminder on your phone, schedule your workouts on your smart device to keep in check anywhere you go.

Read Entire Article ~ https://www.wildermanphysicaltherapy.com/the-top-7-ways-to-make-an-exercise-plan-and-stick-to-it/

Would you like to make better, more educated, and more informed decisions regarding your health?  Are you tired of relying on pain pills, have been told you would benefit from painful injections, or worse, been told that surgery is your only option?  Are you looking for a permanent solution to eliminate your pain so you can live better and get back to normal?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then I have great news for you, and it’s absolutely free!!.

Come in now for your FREE 30 Minute Discovery Session (a $100 value).  Nobody will ask you to fill out a medical history, or for insurance information, cash, credit card… Anything!  This FREE 30 minute session is designed to be stress-free and allow you to meet with a Licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy to DISCOVER why you are having pain and/or why you can no longer do the things you want to do in your life.  STOP living life with pain and restriction and START living without barriers!

With that in mind, if you’ve got neck pain, shoulder pain, low back pain, hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, or any other area of discomfort that you would like to have looked at BEFORE the problem escalates and it costs you more in time and money to fix, please consider this 100% FREE offer to help you.  Here’s what former clients of Wilderman Physical Therapy have experienced since they said “YES” to this completely FREE DISCOVERY SESSION:

1. Get immediate peace of mind when you DISCOVER the true, underlying root cause of your pain that is causing you to suffer
2. Discover how long before your pain is likely to reduce
3. Finally get on track to spending more time (and keeping up with) your family and friends, playing with your children or grandchildren in the park, or enjoying a less painful round of golf
4. Get a reliable “second opinion” if someone such as your family physician told you it’s “your age” and you should just “accept it”…(which is unacceptable!!)
5. Stop relying on pain pills, be able to sleep better at night, and even stop the worry that your family is no doubt suffering with as well…
6. DISCOVER what other natural healing, drug-free ways you can utilize to speed up your recovery along with Physical Therapy
7. DISCOVER how soon you can begin gentle exercise, get back to work, or enjoy play time again with your family…and even walk with friends, stand in line at the outlet stores while shopping, or even getting back to work with a personal trainer!

Get all of this vital health information gifted to you when you exchange just 30 minutes of your time to make a better, more educated, and more informed decision about the future of your ability to keep active and mobile!

https://www.wildermanphysicaltherapy.com/7-ways-a-discovery-session-can-change-your-life/